The custodial death report (CDR) about the January 27, 2023, death of  Johnny Gutierrez provides information about his condition during his booking into Cameron County Jail in Brownsville, Texas. The CDR reveals that Mr. Gutierrez did not appear to be intoxicated by drugs or alcohol during intake. He did, however, make suicidal statements and exhibit mental health problems.

A Detainee Commits Suicide in a Mental Health Evaluation Unit

A county jail outside Texas came under scrutiny in October of 2022 after the 17^th death so far occurred at that point last year. In 2021, the total count of custodial deaths was 16. The 17^th death of 2022 occurred at about 2 AM when jailers discovered that the inmate was hanging by his neck and was unresponsive. The 28-year-old had been incarcerated since June 15, 2021, and used a sheet to commit suicide. His death was the sixth confirmed or apparent suicide for 2022.

A Deceased Inmate Isn’t Noticed for Over 18 Hours

A 36-year-old inmate in a county jail outside Texas was awaiting trial when he died after hanging himself in his cell in April 2022. The isolation cell where he was housed had a miserable appearance that was aptly compared to a dungeon. The man was deceased for over 18 hours before being noticed by dispatchers. In the next installment, learn more about this inmate’s story.

Also, learn more in Part 1 and Part 2 of this ongoing series.

Providing helpful resources for Texas inmates detained in county and municipal jails is the purpose of this website. Making accusations against persons or institutions is never intended.

–Guest Contributor